From cheering Jimmer Fredette on from the sidelines as a BYU cheerleader, Whitney Fredette's cheering never stopped as she has supported him ever since, for more than 15 years.
Jimmer Fredette’s upcoming basketball jersey retirement Saturday at the Marriott Center is part of a journey deeply supported by his wife, Whitney.
From the days of having to pick up Jimmer underneath the Marriott Center with her car, to traveling across the world supporting him as “Jimo Dashen” or “The Lonely Master” in China, to seeing her husband become a historic Olympian for Team USA’s first 3x3 basketball Olympic team, Whitney Fredette has been able to witness “Jimmermania” from a unique perspective.
A relationship began between the freshman cheerleader and sophomore basketball star after being introduced on a plane ride to the 2009 NCAA tournament in Philadelphia. This spark led them to officially begin dating that summer and for the next three years of school.
Whitney loved her time at BYU as a cheerleader, especially sitting courtside. “I got front row seats to every single one of his games," she said.
She recalls the hype around Jimmer was so crazy in 2011 that the athletic director at that time, Tom Holmoe, would have Whitney drive her car to the bottom of the Marriott Center after games and pick Jimmer up to avoid all the fans that wanted to see, talk to, and get autographs and photos with Jimmer.
Students finally caught on and would rush the car, banging on the hood and windows. “I literally felt like I was driving around a rock star," she said.
The time dating at BYU was “like every girl's dream,” she said, being able to text Jimmer before games and “being the person that got to sit with him after games and talk about how the game went.”
Whitney also remembers how locked in Jimmer was.
“It was fun watching his dedication and motivation and his desire to win and desire to be the best," she said. "Just his absolute drive to literally make every shot that he threw up in the air … it was so fun being there and witnessing it.”
Now the person who would win the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year, gain pop-culture lore, and be put the cover of Sports Illustrated was not someone who would be consider shy, right?
“I was very shy," Jimmer said about first meeting Whitney. "Someone that didn’t speak to strangers very often, I kind of kept to myself and did my own thing, and that was something that, you know, I kind of just grew up that way. Ever since I met Whitney, she definitely brought me out of my shell.”
For someone who would go and live the journey and career that Jimmer had, it may not have been possible without the relationship and influence Whitney had on Jimmer.
Whitney’s perspective was something Jimmer loved to see and practice himself.
“She’s never someone who makes excuses for herself; she doesn’t make it seem like it’s someone else’s fault," he said. "Like if things don’t get done, she thinks it’s because it’s her fault. And that’s something to be said where I learned, it’s easy in a basketball situation or another situation to blame things on someone else if your situation isn’t going correct.
“And for me, it’s also like, well you know what? You also have to look in the mirror and see what else you can do to get better and to make sure that you’re putting your best foot forward and sometimes you’re not.
“I think that she had that perspective in her life, and I think that’s something that I learned from her and it helped me be the best person and best basketball player I could be on and off the court.”
This would prove to be a meaningful influence in Jimmer’s life as he went from playing at BYU to beginning his professional career.
Shortly after Whitney graduated from BYU, and she and Jimmer got married, the journey seemed to really begin.
Jimmer had already been living in Sacramento playing in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings. The next decade involved moving around the country and world, as Jimmer got picked up by different NBA and international teams.
Whitney said during those year, “We really got so close and really bonded, and grew to love each other and understand each other.”
The decision to play in China was a huge decision that they both thought and prayed about. She remembers when Jimmer got his answer, it was around 1:30 a.m., and he woke her up saying “Whit, you gotta wake up and I gotta go play in China.”
Whitney was pregnant at this time and was at first not sure if having her husband play across the world was the right choice, but she said “he just felt so strongly about it ... and it ended up being one of the best decisions he ever made for his career and for our family.”
She admits it wasn’t easy all the time, since she didn’t live out there full-time with him and they had a young family.
Whitney and the kids spent a lot of time with her parents while Jimmer was away. Moving back to Colorado to be closer to her mom, Tammy Wonnacott, was a big support for Whitney.
“I think the hardest thing on her was just that he was gone," Tammy said. "It wasn’t that she had to do more, it wasn’t that she had to do everything, it was just that she missed him. And I think that was the hardest thing on her. She just missed him."
As difficult as it was for Whitney to be home taking care of three children, Tammy said, “I think it was harder on him than it was on her. He was leaving his wife and his children and his family.”
Happier times came when the family traveled multiple times to China to be with Jimmer. They got to spend time with him, experience the culture of China, and see how much the people loved him.
Jimmer was successful in China, Whitney said, “It was really cool to watch him get his basketball spark back, just to see him be successful again and fall back in love with the sport that I knew he loved.”
After COVID-19 and a long period away from home, Jimmer came back officially from China because he ultimately wanted to be with his family. A new chapter of his life would begin when the head of 3x3 basketball would call Jimmer, telling him how he got his number from the owner of a pizza place Jimmer and Whitney like to go in Denver. Jimmer was offered a spot to play and help 3x3 basketball qualify for the Olympics.
Whitney said this period of Jimmer’s career was one of her favorites to witness. Between working so hard to learn a new sport in 3x3 basketball and practice with the team, she recalls his drive and motivation to learn that, make time for family, and stay on top of other job ventures he was doing.
“He does everything, he does it so gracefully and he does it so humbly," she said. "I literally don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like him. He’s just a tremendous human being, and it’s fun to witness all of his success and everything he does.”
Jimmer led Team USA’s 3x3 to the 2024 Paris Olympic games, which was an opportunity to take their kids to Paris to watch their dad represent the USA. Jimmer ended up suffering a tournament-ending injury.
“It didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but it was such a great experience," Whitney said. "The road and journey there was so incredible that it was just made all worth it.”
After all these years later, from the eyes of a mother, Tammy said of Whiney, “She took what I think everybody considered was a diamond, literally, in the rough, Jimmer, and I just think she polished him.
“And today he just is so brilliant and so beautiful and so wonderful. But she really did polish him and it was just so wonderful to see. And now he’s such an extraordinary missionary all over the world.”
On Saturday, Valentine's Day, the No. 32 Fredette jersey will be hung up in the rafters of the Marriott Center.
“I would love for our kids to go to BYU, and how cool would it be for them to be there and look up in the rafters and be like, ‘oh yeah, that’s our dad’s jersey up there,'" Whitney told Jimmer.
As Whitney and Jimmer look back to Facebook posts from when were at BYU until now, seeing all that has come to fruition and the love they get from BYU, they find it so meaningful that BYU would honor Jimmer’s name and legacy.
Especially, as it will forever be an experience they can look up to for the rest of their lives and their kids' lives.